There are many types of constructions. After residential constructions, industrial and commercial constructions form a major part of the buildings we see today. These buildings have some distinct differences. Let us see how they differ.

Those not closely connected with the construction industry may not see the differences between commercial and industrial buildings. But, a trained construction professional can easily spot the main differences between these buildings.

Commercial buildings are the ones built directly to serve the public. In these types of buildings, many people visit to fulfill their needs. The commercial buildings offer services or sell products that are necessary for the daily life of the people.

Some examples of commercial buildings include Retail Stores, Malls, Super Markets, Restaurants, Hotels, Hospitals, Gyms, Other Fitness Facilities, etc.

On the other hand, industrial constructions are the structures built for manufacturing commodities and products for distribution to commercial establishments. Some common examples of industrial constructions include Factories, Power Plants, large production houses, Assembly units, etc.

There are differences in the construction of industrial and commercial buildings, and the process varies widely between the two. The type of construction determines the preparatory steps needed for these two different types of buildings.

The intended use of the construction determines the following crucial factors :

Location of the construction
Method of construction used and the techniques employed in building
The infrastructure created in the construction
The regulations, rules that must be complied with, and the types of permits and permissions needed to start the construction

Location Of The Building

The main difference between industrial and commercial construction exists in the location of the construction and the type of structure planned. As commercial construction is built for serving people, located at a place easily accessible by all. Hence, the commercial constructions are usually built inside the city areas centrally located for easy access.

Another characteristic feature of commercial construction is that they must be located and designed for maximum foot traffic. So, the commercial constructions are located at a place where many people access the building by foot and lie close to the market they want to serve.

Industrial construction takes a very different approach for the location of the industrial structure. These are mainly meant for the production of products and dispatch them to commercial establishments to sell them. These buildings are built at a place where they have easy logistical access. Hence, the industrial constructions are built near large seaports, airports, railheads, or other places where many materials are easily transported from and to the industrial building.

As large machinery and industrial activities occur throughout the day, it is usual for the industrial constructions to be located away from the residential and thickly populated areas.

Hence the main difference between commercial and industrial construction is the access to many people for commercial construction. At the same time, it is the easy logistics for moving large amounts of materials and machinery for the industrial constructions.

Allied Infrastructure

As the commercial and industrial constructions serve different purposes, they must have different facilities attached to them for their optimum utility.

A commercial construction accessed by a large number of people must have enough space for the movement of a large number of people to come onto the construction, complete their work and go out of it without any problem.

For this, these constructions all the facilities for easy access like provision of enough parking lots, arrangements for the orderly flow of traffic, arrangement for helping people reach their destination, do their business and come out of the construction with minimum hassles are provided.

On the other hand, industrial constructions mostly focus on production and transportation. They are built with spaces for accommodating the heavy machinery and the technical stuff necessary for manufacturing the products. They have enough space to allow bigger trucks to move in with raw materials and go out with finished goods without any difficulty.

Due to the necessity for large plots of lands required for industrial construction, they are situated at places away from crowded areas, with all the external infrastructures necessary for the smooth flow of the manufacturing process and transport of goods.

The Interior Structures

The type of works to be conducted in the buildings determines the type of construction. It is also one of the main differentiating factors for industrial and commercial buildings.

The commercial construction attracts more people into it, and they accommodate lots and lots of foot traffic. They allow many people to go into and out of the building at the same time.

Commercial businesses rely on repeat customers, and they are built to give the best experience while the people are inside the building.

But, an industrial building is used for the installation and operation of heavy machinery. They are built taller, larger, and stronger to accommodate the heavy equipment for manufacturing goods. They have larger doors, wide corridors, high ceilings, and large shelves.

Internal Finishes

The types of electrical, plumbing, mechanical systems inside the building also differentiate the type of construction.

In a commercial building, central electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems are installed to handle the supply and distribution of water, air, and electricity throughout the building. It is necessary for convenience and comfort to those who come to use the building.

As people will be the ones for whom these are provided, these systems are centrally controlled and of lower capacity to cater to the needs of the people who use the buildings.

But in industrial construction, the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems are much more robust with higher capacities. They are more oriented towards the operation of the machinery used in the production process than offering comfort to the persons working in these buildings.

The Scale Of Construction

This also varies widely with industrial and commercial construction.

Commercial construction can be a skyscraper to accommodate many offices, shops, and other places of work where thousands of people can come and work. Due to their central location and easy accessibility, any number of people can come and go.

These types of construction focus more on the main construction as most of the related facilities are already available due to their central location.

In industrial construction, vast areas are developed for the main construction and all the related requirements. The industrial constructions are ideal for people to live around it while still making it efficient in manufacturing, logistics, and production of goods.

Construction Project Management

The type of project management required is also different for industrial and commercial constructions. Commercial constructions are more streamlined with the use of the same materials, construction process, and techniques. These can be built with materials you find in your neighborhood hardware stores.

But an Industrial construction varies in type, size, construction methods, and the manufacturing process that will be conducted in the building. Due to this, you need to use different types of project management while constructing an industrial building.

The materials used in the building also vary in specifications, types, and techniques used in the construction.

As such, industrial construction needs specialized skills involved in on-site equipment assembly, custom fabrication of complex structures, and large-scale integration of different types of installations.

Usually, industrial constructions are larger and hence take more time to complete than commercial construction.

Permits And Building Licenses

Though both the industrial and commercial constructions need permission from the governmental bodies before, during, and after the completion of the project, there are some vital differences between these two.

In commercial construction, the builder must comply with all the occupancy requirements, permits from the local planning and zoning boards, municipal authorities. Some commercial constructions must receive a license from health departments also.

But in industrial construction and the permissions from the local authorities, additional inspections and permissions become necessary depending on the scale of operation. Some industrial constructions may need permissions from the city, state, and federal Governments also.

Conclusion:

Commercial and industrial constructions form the major part of the constructions in modern times. A business may need both of these types of constructions. The design, type of construction, internal structures, and amenities vary with the type of construction.

The commercial and industrial constructions differ in the following key points like